Besides ingredients, how else can nanotechnology benefit the food and beverage industry?
In light of the recent E. coli outbreaks inv lettuce, spinach, and ground beef, nanotechnology may provide a fast and easy method to ensure food safety or aid in plant sanitation. In 2006, researchers at Purdue University discovered tiny structures called nano-cantilevers that could be crucial in designing a new class of ultra-small sensors for detecting viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. The nano-cantilevers, which resemble tiny diving boards made of silicon, vibrate at different frequencies when contaminants stick to them. Two cantilevers can be placed in a sensor and liquid is then passed through them. When the molecule or microbe of interest binds to the surface, the board bends and its electrical resistance is altered. Detection is achieved by measuring the change in resistance. The device can be designed to search for specific things, for example, if the organism to be detected was E. coli, the cantilever could be coated in antibodies specific to E. coli cells. Many different
